Bears Menace Tsunami Survivors
The Yomiuri reports that tsunami survivors in Iwate prefecture have sighted bears near their temporary houses:
The town’s local social welfare council, which consults residents of temporary housing facilities, has handled about 30 bear-related incidents since mid-August, with residents making such comments as “I saw a bear,” “There’s bear dung and footprints,” and “Some neighbors saw bears and now I’m scared.”
At temporary housing in Kamaishi, which is next to Otsuchicho, there were four reports of bear sightings in July and August, while a garbage collection site at a temporary housing facility in the town is believed to have been ransacked by a bear in July.
Because most low-lying land in Otsuchicho was inundated by the tsunami, the only option was to set up temporary housing units in mountainous areas near bear habitats, according to one town official.
“The bears are probably attracted to the garbage,” said Prof. Toshiki Aoi of Iwate University, who is familiar with the behavioral habits of Asiatic black bears.
So far, there have been no reported bear attacks. Residents are being encouraged to be vigilant and secure trash containers.
There’s no video of these bears, but here’s a video from last year, showing a bear hunt that took place in an another area of Iwate (Morioka):
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